Mentor For CEO Masako Ikebara's New Book "The Textbook of Mentors" to be Released on July 17, 2026

Mentor For Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Masako Ikebara; hereinafter "Mentor For"), which provides mid-to-long-term support for organizational DE&I promotion, will publish the book "The Textbook of Mentors" (Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd.; hereinafter "the Book") authored by CEO Masako Ikebara on July 17, 2026. In addition, to commemorate the release, an online talk event with Professor Jun Nakahara of the Faculty of Business and Commerce, Rikkyo University, will be held on July 15 (Wed).

[Background of the Book Publication] In an era where 1 in 3 people leave their jobs within 3 years, the "system for nurturing talent" is being questioned.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the turnover rate within three years of employment for new university graduates is 33.8% (Note 1). As young employees continue to leave their jobs early regardless of company size, the limitations of traditional human resource development, which has relied on OJT (On-the-Job Training), have been pointed out (Note 2). In response to this situation, interest in mentoring, which supports an individual's career development and personal growth from a position different from that of a supervisor or senior colleague, is increasing.

On the other hand, there are growing voices from HR departments saying, "We introduced a mentor system, but it's not working well," or "We used to have one, but we abolished it." Securing mentors and improving their quality to sustain the system, as well as the burden on the mentors themselves, are major obstacles to the system's establishment.

Underlying this is the exhaustion of those responsible for nurturing talent, exemplified by the "management's punishment game," one of the keywords symbolizing the HR field in recent years. There is strong resistance from the field to assigning new roles to seniors and managers one after another, and HR measures as a whole are being forced to "shift from quantity to quality."

Since pioneering the business of external mentor training and matching in Japan in 2018, Mentor For has provided mentoring to over 2,000 mentees and accumulated over 11,000 hours of mentoring sessions (as of the end of June 2025). The number of adopting companies exceeds 200, mainly large corporations. Approximately 90% (92.4%) of Mentor For's mentoring program participants responded that "I could speak honestly because it was an external mentor," and about 70% of participants have experienced career advancement thereafter (Note 3).

This book systematizes the practical knowledge accumulated through these experiences so that everyone involved with mentors can utilize it.

Note 1: Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Employment Status of New University Graduates (Graduates of March 2022)" (Published October 24, 2025) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000177553_00010.html

Note 2: Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "FY2024 Basic Survey on Skill Development" (Published June 27, 2025) https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/newpage_00202.html

Note 3: Source: Mentor For, "Mentoring Participant Survey" (As of the end of June 2025)

[Overview of the Book] A practical guide for both "those who create systems" and "those who become mentors."

This book is not a theoretical work but a practical guide that answers the following on-site concerns:

"We introduced a mentor system, but it has become merely a formality."

"We can't find suitable mentors / We don't want to burden them."

"We don't know whether to choose an internal or external mentor."

"Mentoring isn't going well / The relationship isn't lasting."

"I want to leverage my experience and become someone's mentor."

With a total of 4 chapters, the content covers a wide range from the benefits of becoming a mentor to the qualities of an excellent mentor, system design both internally and externally, and individual activities, catering to HR personnel who create systems as well as individuals who wish to act as mentors.

The author, Masako Ikebara, is a specialist in coaching and mentoring who completed the Executive Master in Change at INSEAD. This is her second book, following her first book "The Textbook of 1-on-1 for Those with Female Subordinates or Junior Colleagues" (Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd.), published in 2023.

[Table of Contents]

Chapter 1: Benefits of Becoming a Mentor Chapter 2: What is a "Good Mentor"? Chapter 3: Differences Between "Internal Mentors" and "External Mentors" Chapter 4: Acting as a Mentor Individually

[Book Launch Commemorative Online Talk Event] From individual support to organizational transformation: The role of mentors and their potential

To commemorate the release of the book, Masako Ikebara, CEO of Mentor For, and Professor Jun Nakahara of the Faculty of Business and Commerce, Rikkyo University, a leading researcher in human resource development and organizational development, will hold a free online talk event to discuss the essence and potential of mentoring.

"What is the difference between coaching, counseling, and mentoring?" "In an era of advancing AI, what kind of interaction is unique to humans?" "What is the role of mentors in organizational transformation?" The event will delve deeply into the future of human resource development from both research and practical perspectives.

◆ Event Overview

[Date and Time] July 15, 2026 (Wed) 16:00 - 17:00

[Format] Online (Zoom)

[Participation Fee] Free

[Target Audience]

HR personnel, heads and promoters of human resource development and organizational development

CEOs and managers struggling with the introduction of internal mentor systems or the superficiality of existing systems

Managers who feel challenged in developing subordinates and juniors or in adopting a supportive management style

Those seeking "human-centric development and interaction methods" in the rapidly changing AI era

[Details and Registration] Details and registration here: https://mentorfor.jp/seminar_event/seminar-20260715/

◆ Main Talk Themes (Tentative)

Special talk looking at the future of human resource development to commemorate the release of the book "The Textbook of Mentors"

Presenting the essence of "uniquely human interaction" required in the AI era

The potential of mentors to connect individual support with corporate "organizational transformation"

◆ Speaker Profiles

Jun Nakahara, Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Rikkyo University (Human Resource Development / Organizational Development)

Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Education, and completed a doctoral program at Osaka University Graduate School (Human Sciences). After serving as a visiting researcher at MIT and an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, he has been in his current position since 2018. His research focuses on "scientific approaches to adult learning" in corporate and organizational human resource and organizational development. His books include "Workplace Learning Theory" and "Management Learning Theory" (both published by the University of Tokyo Press), and "Growth Strategy for Rookie Managers," among many others. He is also a director of the Japan Institute for Management Learning.

Masako Ikebara, CEO, Mentor For Co., Ltd.

Began the business of training and matching external mentors in Japan in 2018. Has supported DE&I promotion and human resource development in over 200 organizations, mainly large corporations. Author of this book.

[Author Profile] Masako Ikebara

CEO of Mentor For Co., Ltd. After graduating from Waseda University Graduate School of Education, she worked for a PR company, an NPO, and a consulting firm. While employed, she enrolled in INSEAD (Executive Master in Change) and obtained her master's degree. She then founded her own company and in 2018 pioneered the business of training and corporate matching of "external mentors" in Japan. She has supported DE&I promotion and human resource development in over 200 organizations, mainly large corporations, and her services have been selected for "Japan Service Innovation 2025." Ms. Ikebara has received numerous awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the Japan Venture Awards, EY Winning Women 2022, the Grand Prize for Growth Division at the Women Entrepreneur Awards (Chairperson's Award of the National Federation of Women's Business Associations), and the Tokyo Women Entrepreneurs Award.

Her previous book is "The Textbook of 1-on-1 for Those with Female Subordinates or Junior Colleagues" (Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd., 2023).

[Book Information]

Title: "The Textbook of Mentors"

Author: Masako Ikebara

Release Date: July 17, 2026

Publisher: Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd.

Price: 1980 yen (tax included)

ISBN-10: 4534062850, ISBN-13: 978-4534062857

Where to Buy: Nationwide bookstores, Amazon and other online bookstores

◆ Mentor For Co., Ltd.

Mentor For's mission is to promote DE&I in society and organizations and to support the growth of people and organizations. The company provides services to train role models as "external mentors" and match them with diverse managers and candidates, including women. It also offers one-stop support, including training and system operation support for internal mentors based on the utilization of internal resources and knowledge, DE&I consulting, and training/lectures. In 2026, the company joined the Gakken Business Brains Co., Ltd. group, a subsidiary of Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd., strengthening its support base for human capital management and the promotion of women's active participation.

Established: September 2014 (Mentor business started in 2018)

CEO: Masako Ikebara

Location: Osaki Bright Core 411, 5-5-15 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001

Group: Gakken Business Brains Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd.)

Business Activities: Mentor training, external mentor matching, support for building internal mentor systems, DE&I promotion consulting, training, and lectures

HP: https://mentorfor.jp/